The present invention relates to a magnetic head slider loading mechanism which moves a magnetic head slider in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a magnetic disk, and more particularly, to a magnetic head slider loading mechanism suitable to load a negative pressure head slider.
A magnetic head slider loading mechanism of this kind takes a negative pressure head slider out of contact with a surface of a magnetic disk when the magnetic disk is not rotating. When the magnetic disk starts rotating at a constant rotation speed, the magnetic head slider loading mechanism moves the head slider toward the disk surface at a position where the negative pressure head slider is subjected to a negative pressure force generated by a air flow of the disk rotation. Thereafter, the head slider flies on the disk surface while maintaining a constant flying height during a transducing operation to the magnetic disk.
A conventional head slider loading mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,297 issued to Root et al. The loading mechanism includes a box-like arm structure which supports a suspension of the negative pressure head slider. The head slider contacts a boss formed on a rectangular lid which covers an opening of the box-like arm structure. The box-like arm structure is further provided with a slot at one side wall for allowing air passage into the hollow interior of the arm structure. The air flow is generated by disk rotation and then impinges on the lid so that a load force is applied to the head slider.
In the conventional loading mechanism, the load force is not stable and is difficult to control accurately since the air flow is utilized by the load force. Additionally, the loading mechanism has a complicated structure for transmitting the pressure of the air flow into the load force applied to the head slider.